CU Boulder is posting corornavirus information here: please look to that website first, for answers. The “Research Continuity” section is most relevant to us, as is this collection of FAQs from the Research and Innovation Office.
LEAVE GUIDANCE. Eg: With many/most local schools closed, my kids are home and I won’t be able to get much done. What are my options?
August update: Please see an update from CIRES here. And for information from campus, see CU Boulder HR’s coronavirus guidance here.
What about ergonomic solutions for my workspace at home?
Setting up an ergonomic workstation at home is the responsibility of individual employees. You may seek approval from your supervisor to bring home some equipment, including extra monitors and even small chairs. Desks, including sit/stand desks, may NOT be moved out of offices. Please contact your supervisor to request approval to remove anything from your office to your home. Upon approval, please send an email to ciresithelp@colorado.edu to report any moved IT equipment; and to Dan Keane, daniel.keane@colorado.edu, for other office equipment.
I don’t have good wifi, and may need to upgrade. Will CIRES cover this expense? What about other kinds of extra expenses due to work-at-home, including water, heat or cooling, a dry erase board, etc?
Please submit a request to your supervisor, including a business justification and an explanation why your current situation is inadequate. Requests will be reviewed case by case. Supervisors: Please work with your CIRES finance manager on next steps. APRIL 1 UPDATE: Please be aware that the primary funding source for costs will be your sponsored funds, if allowable. If that is not possible, CIRES may be able to cover some. There is no University of Colorado Boulder funding source that can support COVID-related additional costs, and we don’t anticipate receiving any so CIRES leadership must prioritize the expenses that will be supported. Per guidance from the university (Procurement Service Center), we ask you to evaluate if a purchase is critical to your work. As PSC notes, ”Departments should err on the side of creating work environments that are sufficient, not necessarily optimal.”
Will merit raises happen this year in October, as usual?
May update: No. The CU Regents suspended merit raises this year for all CU campuses.
How can we create online meetings if we need to?
Video conferencing is available for CIRES employees. Please click here for Google Meets and here for Zoom.
Can I go back to my office/field site/lab?
Please see return to research guidance here.
How do I keep up with changes in policy/practices at CU Boulder?
https://www.colorado.edu/coronavirus (please refer to the research continuity block low on the page)
Can I travel? (for business or personal reasons)?
CU Boulder’s travel information is here: https://www.colorado.edu/coronavirus/travel
https://www.colorado.edu/coronavirus-updates/research-continuity
The information below is form the March 13th PSC Communicator :
CU Boulder has indefinitely suspended all domestic and international travel. If there are extenuating circumstances and your travel is considered essential, an exception to the travel suspension may be requested. These exception requests are made through the Institute Director, Vice Chancellor, and Provost and should only be made in rare circumstances. If you need to request an exception to travel, contact cirestravel@colorado.edu and they will help prepare your exception request.
If an exception is granted, both international and domestic travel must be approved using Concur Request before booking the trip. This requirement applies whether you plan to fly, drive, or otherwise travel (bus, train, etc.) out of state. The CIRES Travel team will help make sure your request is submitted with all necessary information through Concur.
What if my trip has already been approved and ticketed?
All trips booked before current travel restrictions were in place must be re-approved if you want to continue with your travel plans. Before a trip can be reapproved, an exception to the current domestic and international travel suspension must be received. Exception requests are made through the Institute Director, Vice Chancellor, and Provost and should only be made in rare circumstances. If you need to request an exception to travel, contact cirestravel@colorado.edu and they will help prepare your exception request.
If an exception is granted, the trip must be re-approved through Concur. The CIRES Travel team will help make sure your request is submitted with all necessary information through Concur.
How do I cancel a trip that has been booked?
To cancel a trip that was previously booked through Concur/CBT, contact a CBT travel agent. CBT’s information is at the top of your ticket and below:
CBT Business Hours 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (Mountain Time), Monday through Friday
- Toll Free Phone: 1-855-462-8885
- Local Phone: 303-694-8744
- Email: cutravel@cbtravel.com
Emergency After Hours: 1-800-954-0023 (Must reference service code VP-JOO after 5:30pm & Weekends)
International After Hours: 682-233-0916 give ID code VP-JOO (letter O, not zero)
Can I purchase airfare from an internet site now and get the Concur approval later on?
No. During the COVID-19 health crisis and university travel suspension, all University-related travel must be booked through the University’s travel management program: either online in the Concur Travel & Expense System or through a travel agent with Christopherson Business Travel (CBT).
If you book CU business travel through the internet during this time (March 13 through the end of the travel restrictions period), you will not be reimbursed for your out-of-pocket airfare bookings, unless you are already in travel-status and need to get home. Contact cirestravel@colorado.edu if you have questions about this or the need to purchase out-of-pocket airfare in order to get home early from a trip you are currently conducting.
https://www.colorado.edu/coronavirus, and CU Boulder FAQ page: https://www.colorado.edu/coronavirus/faqs
Can I go to campus/DSRC to get stuff from my office?
JUNE 2 UPDATE: If you must go to CU Boulder campus to obtain something essential to your work, you may do so briefly, but only with approval of your supervisor, who will work with CIRES operations manager Dan Keane to determine a) if it can be permitted, and b) when. Dan Keane will be working with CIRES Director Waleed Abdalati to made decisions. CIRES employees may only enter DOC campus with both CIRES and federal authorization; you should begin this process with an email to your supervisor.
Will Rendezvous happen?
Rendezvous will be held Friday, August 14. Abstracts will be due June 30.
What about my snail mail?
CU Boulder Campus: If you have an urgent piece of mail or a package being delivered, please email ciresmc@colorado.edu with your delivery details. Distribution on campus is limited.
DSRC: No mail deliveries will be made until further notice. All packages received will be stored in the warehouse, building 22. For mission-critical packages, contact Jeff Mason at 720-365-5620 (mobile) to arrange pickup and delivery. Once normal operations are resumed, remaining mail will be delivered to the appropriate mail stop.
What should I do about my phone?
- DSRC-based: If you want to access your NOAA voicemail remotely you can do so by calling 303-497-7070, enter your four-digit extension and password. If you want to change your outgoing message press 8* after logging into the system and follow the prompts. If you need assistance or forget your password, send an email to telecom@boulder.nist.gov
- CU Boulder-based: Accessing your Voicemail: https://oit.colorado.edu/services/voice-communications/voicemail Forwarding your phone: https://oit.colorado.edu/tutorial/cisco-voip-forward-your-phone
I’m in the midst of hiring someone, what should I do?
Some guidance is posted on CU HR’s site under “Hiring” https://www.colorado.edu/hr/covid-19-hr-guidance. Please direct all specific questions related to recruiting and hiring to cireshr@colorado.edu.
I have a new employee starting soon. What are the onboarding options for this individual?
Central HR is moving the quickstart onboarding online. New employees are provided with links and information prior to their first day of work. CIRES HR team (i.e., Jimena for main campus and Lucia for DSRC) will be available (phone, zoom) to do virtual onboarding meetings depending on whether they work on CU Campus or DOC campus.
Is there a contingency plan in case someone in CIRES leadership becomes incapacitated?
CIRES Administration has enough staffing and cross-training to ensure payroll and other critical functions will be covered. If need be, we will also seek assistance at the CU Boulder or even system level to maintain all critical functionality.
How can we access CIRES town hall recordings?
August 4: https://ciresblogs.colorado.edu/cires-admin/2020/08/04/cires-town-hall-8-4-2020/ (no sound; close captioning only)
July 21: https://ciresblogs.colorado.edu/cires-admin/2020/07/21/cires-town-halls-7-21-2020/
June 16: https://ciresblogs.colorado.edu/cires-admin/2020/06/16/cires-town-halls-6-16-2020/
June 2: https://ciresblogs.colorado.edu/cires-admin/2020/06/02/cires-town-hall-6-2-2020/
May 12: https://ciresblogs.colorado.edu/cires-admin/2020/05/12/cires-director-town-hall-5-12-2020/
April 23: https://ciresblogs.colorado.edu/cires-admin/2020/04/23/cires-director-town-hall-round-4/
April 14: https://ciresblogs.colorado.edu/cires-admin/2020/04/14/cires-town-hall-4-14-2020/
March 16: https://ciresblogs.colorado.edu/cires-admin/2020/03/16/cires-virtual-town-hall-recordings/
March 31: https://ciresblogs.colorado.edu/cires-admin/2020/03/31/cires-virtual-town-hall-3-31-2020/
What hours can we access IT support if we need it?
CIRES IT staff are available 7:30am – 5:00pm Monday-Friday. No house calls, of course. Please email ciresithelp@colorado.edu.
What about visa applications?
Email janet.garcia@colorado.edu with questions on visas and other international issues.
Will parking permits still be deducted from our paychecks?
Please see https://www.colorado.edu/coronavirus/faqs, “University Operations” section.
